hpc364

Thanks and they can be bowed !

OK, I put other strings...

Well, about theory I'm classical trained, jazz theory is easier. Terms are different between the two worlds, sometimes jazzers call tonal what is modal in classical music. When jazzers talk about harmony they overthink what it's supposed to be simple and it's actually simple. They sometimes play inversions or substitutions thinking they are genius and overthink them with a lot of esoteric and philosophical feelings. Some don't even understand them and hate them, and want the rhythmic section to work like a karaoke tape. With classical players, you don't have to explain, they know what's happening. Since nothing is really written, ears are wild open (in a trio context). Real bass players : they bow.

I'm now playing with a pianist who has never been a pianist, he is a classical percussionist, pitched percussions, but he is also into jazz. He taught himself to play the piano (I also play the piano, I learnt to play figured bass when I was a student) and he is playing Keith Jarrett tunes and of course jazz standards. Professional classical musicians are so open-minded sometimes... A very cool guy ! Before I played the double bass, I was more into 7 string guitar, in a jazz style, and didn't play the bass guitar anymore. Less than two years ago an amateur big band needed a bass player, so I said to myself, why not ? I knew some double bass techniques but YouTube helped me a lot. The more difficult in the double bass is to have a good set-up. I did it all on my own ! I'm a double bass player now but not a real one, someone asked me if I wanted to play in a classical ensemble, you can guess what I answered with a little smile. Those strings helped me to get a "personal" sound but they are very limited, even if I bow them sometimes, they are not made for that. I said NO ! It's another world ! Even if the first months I practiced Édouard Nanny exercises, I stopped it because of my new strings. Good and bad string choice !

They say that Scott LaFaro was the first to use low action with gut strings. I've always been into sax, trumpet and guitar players so I wasn't so interested in piano players so I didn't listened to Bill Evans. The name of LaFaro sounded so obscure to me because of Ornette Coleman. Now I can say, I enjoy him more than before, and much more when I knew he started to play the double bass seven years before he died.

Well, the truth is that the only time I hurt myself by playing happened with bass guitar : some blisters, tennis elbow, hands that have been paralysed for few seconds (scary). With the double bass, except my head that can hit the machine heads, nothing has never happened.

"Gatekeeper" is a nice word, it makes me smile because it's exactly what I feel when I'm talking about my double bass journey. There actually are "gatekeepers", they have never bothered me since I've never seen gates.

Amen ! Some like them better than we do ! If they like them, I should like them. Acoustically, they are weird but with amp, preamp, a bit of feedback when the strings are not touched, I can love them.

Thanks, in another forum, people laughed at me when I said I wanted to play the double bass, without lessons. I'm not afraid to say I'm pretty proud of me. I started in February 2024. The double bass changed a lot of things !

Yes, a long day, I was working that day, I was late and I can say it was my first gig on double bass... With an audience. Nobody complained.

Yeah !!!

🤣